The Holidays at Walt Disney World are all about magic and Christmas at Animal Kingdom is no exception. With merry marionettes, new holiday snacks, holiday merchandise, and more you’ll want to spend a whole day in this park, just to explore! So whether you’re heading to Animal Kingdom to see Mickey and Minnie in their Christmas outfits, or just grabbing some time with the Christmas Lights in Pandora, here’s everything happening at Animal Kingdom this Christmas.
Contents
- 1 Animal Kingdom Christmas Details
- 2 Animal Kingdom Christmas Decorations
- 3 Animal Kingdom Christmas Characters
- 4 Diwali Festival of Lights
- 5 Merry Menagerie Animal Puppets at Animal Kingdom
- 6 Santa Claus at Animal Kingdom
- 7 Meet Mickey and Minnie in their Christmas Outfits
- 8 Holiday Tree of Life Awakenings at Animal Kingdom
- 9 Live Holiday Performances for Christmas at Animal Kingdom
- 10 Holiday Snacks at Animal Kingdom
- 11 Holiday Character Dining at Animal Kingdom
- 12 Holiday Merchandise at Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom Christmas Details
With extended park hours through the holidays, animal puppeteers in the Merry Menagerie, an evening show featured on the Tree of Life and new character meet and greets in the park, you can experience a unique Holiday at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, that you can’t get anywhere else. With new snacks, holiday overlays, and fun Disney Character Christmas Cavalcades, Animal Kingdom has really brought in the holiday spirit! Aside from an overall increase in holiday cheer, like added wreaths, garlands, and wreaths, there’s a lot to look forward to at Animal Kingdom for the holidays this year.
When Does Christmas Start at Animal Kingdom?
Christmas at Walt Disney World typically starts the second week in November and greets guests in each park with holiday music and Christmas decor. This year Christmas starts at Animal Kingdom November 7, 2025.
What are the Christmas Hours at Animal Kingdom Park?
Holiday hours at Animal Kingdom are typically 9 AM- 7 PM, with a 30 minute Early Entry option for Disney Resort Guests.
Does Animal Kingdom Have Christmas?
Yes! Animal Kingdom celebrates several holidays during the festive season across the park! With natural animal-themed decorations, you can see elements honoring Kwanzaa in Africa, Diwali in Asia, and Christmas. In addition to natural earthy decorations in each area of the park, you can even find kitschy fun in Pandora.
Animal Kingdom Christmas Decorations
Holiday Decorations at Animal Kingdom are subtle, animal-themed, and filled with beautiful natural details. Hand-crafted steel ornaments, macrame, and beautifully created animal puppets can be found all over the park. You can find holiday decorations at Animal Kingdom above doorways, on trees, in garlands, and more. Rooftop luminaries and bird lanterns are found across Discovery Island.
Christmas Decorations at Animal Kingdom Entrance
Animal Kingdom features a large Christmas Tree at the entrance of the park, surrounded by fun gifts and toys, and all things Disney.
Discovery Island Christmas Decorations
On Discovery Island, just near the gift shops you can see all sorts of sculpted origami statues of all kinds of animals. Some of the most beautiful creations, honoring all things nature. Check out the owls over the doorway of the giftshop, and the cranes in the landscaping.
Christmas Decorations in the Asia section of Animal Kingdom Park
One of our favorite areas of Animal Kingdom at Christmas is in the Anandapur area. Here you can see strung lanterns, and experience the Diwali Festival of Lights show at Anandapur Theater, which shows Friends in Flight throughout the year.
Holiday Decorations in Pandora
Over in Pandora, World of Avatar you can see Christmas Lights strewn over the quick serve counter where you get Pongu Pongu, by far one of the Best snacks in Animal Kingdom. It is here where you can see the giant AMP suit draped in festive garlands and lights. And during the holidays, you can also see handmade, natural ornaments, a Na’vi Nutcracker, and a menorah with the Star of David to celebrate the Festival of Lights.
Animal Kingdom Christmas Characters
Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale, Donald and Daisy are all dressed up for the holidays, in Christmas costumes. You can check out meet and greet times in the My Disney Experience App. You can also meet Santa Claus at Animal Kingdom!
Animal Kingdom Christmas Flotillas
Featuring Disney Characters in their holiday best keep an eye out for Festive Flotillas. These floats will appear throughout the day for festive fun to look forward to. And you can see Santa Claus! The big man himself will be floating on a Festive Flotilla down Discovery River as part of the Animal Kingdom Celebrations. While you won’t get to sit on his lap, there will be plenty of magic as part of his arrival!
- Santa Claus Festive Flotilla
- The big man himself will be floating on a Festival Flotilla down Discovery River as part of the Animal Kingdom Celebrations.
- Donald’s Dino-Bash Festive Flotilla
- See Donald Duck, Daisy, and Launchpad from Ducktales happy with holiday cheer while sailing Discovery River.
- Chip & Dale’s Festive Flotilla
- Don’t miss Chip ‘n’ Dale grooving to the holiday music as they float down Discovery River for the festive season.
- Mickey and Friends Festive Flotilla
- Mickey and Friends, in their best safari holiday gear, can be seen from bridges, and alongside Discovery River throughout the day!
- Discovery Island Drummers Festive Flotilla
- Listen for the Island drummers cruising along the river playing fun and festive tunes.
Diwali Festival of Lights
As part of the Holidays at Animal Kingdom, you can see the story of Diwali that’s told as part of the Feathered Friends show in the park. You can also see Glowing Lanterns and mandala lights decorate the area in front of the Anandpur Theater, and the waterfront stage in Asia.
Merry Menagerie Animal Puppets at Animal Kingdom
Our favorite addition to the holiday offerings at Animal Kingdom is the Merry Menagerie of life-size artisan winter puppets! These puppets are not only absolutely adorable, but they are so fun to interact with! The cast members who handle these puppets are wonderful and really get everyone involved and excited about these creatures. The puppets are located at Discovery Island, near the Tree of Life. They change throughout the day, so be sure to check back to find your favorites!
We were lucky enough to see flying birds, foxes, polar bears, penguins, a baby seal, and reindeer! The detail on these animals is just stunning, so be sure to take your time when visiting them. And take a million photos of them too… because that’s what we did:) Their facial expressions are just priceless and really add to the character of these puppets. In addition to the whimsical puppets, there is also a new wall to match the theme, as well as adorable wintry luminaries atop the shops on Discovery Island, that light up when the sun goes down.
Santa Claus at Animal Kingdom
Santa Claus shows up in Animal Kingdom for a boat ride down Discovery River! But he also has a meet-and-greet location in for Christmas at Animal Kingdom. To see him on the boat, you can head to the Nomad Lounge balcony and wait for him to sail by. Just behind the Tree of Life is also a great place to see the boats sailing down the river!
Meet Mickey and Minnie in their Christmas Outfits
For the last few years, guests have been able to meet Mickey and Minnie in their holiday sweaters for Christmas at Animal Kingdom. So if you’re looking to play matchy, check out our Mickey and Minnie Holiday Sweaters DIY post for how you can make your own outfit for your next Disney Vacation. You can also see Mickey and Minnie in their Holiday Adventurers outfits! Just head to Adventurer’s Outpost in Animal Kingdom to see Mickey and Minnie in their Holiday Outfits.
Holiday Tree of Life Awakenings at Animal Kingdom
Before you leave for the night, you’ll want to make sure you stop by the Tree of Life to catch the new wintry scenes and holiday music, specially created for this time of year. Exclusive to the Christmas at Animal Kingdom festivities, this show is a must see. It’s such a peaceful and relaxing way to end the night and can be seen from many different angles, meaning there’s plenty of room for everyone!
The Tree of Life Awakenings show takes place at 6 PM, as such its best to visit Disney World later in the season, when dusk happens earlier, so you can see this display. The scenes replay throughout the evening, so feel free to take it all in as much as you want.
Live Holiday Performances for Christmas at Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom features holiday music throughout the season, and even live performances. Be sure to take the time to see the holiday performances in the park. Head to Harambe to see the Tam Tam Drummers. Intermittently, you can find other performers on the waterfront stage spreading festive cheer!
Holiday Snacks at Animal Kingdom
We are happy to report that Animal Kingdom now has new Disney snacks for the holiday! While Christmas at Animal Kingdom is generally fairly low key, you can still usually find Christmas Snacks at Creature Comforts, and kiosks across the park. We tried a double chocolate peppermint cookie ice cream sandwich from Dino-Bite Snacks. It was delicious and all the flavors of chocolate and peppermint, perfect for the season. Be sure to check out all the Snacks at Animal Kingdom for Christmas!
Holiday Character Dining at Animal Kingdom
One of the best ways to add a little bit more Merry to the season is to head to Tusker House, for a Disney Character Meal with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Daisy, Donald, and Pluto. These safari-dressed characters add a little bit of Christmas to their outfits with holiday accessories. With buffet-style options for the holidays, this Disney restaurant is a great choice for families looking for something extra special.
Holiday Merchandise at Animal Kingdom
The two main gift shops are on Discovery Island, right in front of the Tree of Life, but there’s also specialty shops all over the park! You can grab gifts like apparel and accessories to home décor and kitchenware to plush, toys, and ornaments. If you’re staying home and want to add a little more Disney to your Christmas Holiday check out the shopDisney Holiday Shop at shopDisney.com.
Holidays at Animal Kingdom Park
With so many new things for Christmas at Animal Kingdom this year, we say it’s is an absolute must-do for the holidays. Be sure to set aside some time during your winter trip to enjoy all it has to offer! Check out what’s happening for Christmas at all the Disney World Parks.
Rochelle Mariah is a writer, designer and photographer. Determined to make Planning a DIY Disney Vacation easier she makes lots of lists and drinks lots of coffee. When not designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she’s watching old movies and planning the holidays. She has been traveling to Disney destinations since 2010.
